Connected pawns

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White's pawns on the a, b and, c files are connected, and white's g and h pawns are connected.

In chess, connected pawns are two or more pawns of the same color on adjacent files, as distinct from isolated pawns. These pawns are instrumental in creating pawn structure because, when diagonally adjacent, like the two rightmost white pawns, they form a pawn chain, a chain where the one behind protects the one in front. When attacking these chains, the weak spot is the backmost pawn, because it is not protected (Seirawan 2003:186) (Seirawan 2005:922).

Connected pawns become a major advantage at the endgame because connected pawns offer versatility and support as the line of pawns advance. If the backmost pawn of a pawn chain is well-defended, it becomes almost impossible to prevent a pawn from queening without loss of material. Because of this property, minor pieces may be sacrificed for passed connected pawns during games, especially if backed with rooks.

[edit] References

• Seirawan, Yasser (2003), Play Winning Chess, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-331-4 

• Seirawan, Yasser (2005), Winning Chess Tactics, Everyman Chess, ISBN 1-85744-385-3 

[edit] See also

• Pawn structure
• Isolated pawn
• Doubled pawns
• Backward pawn